History of our Council

The Beginning of Council 10892

The Msgr. Lou Morton Knights of Columbus Council 10892 was officially chartered in June of 1992, with 32 members. However, it took the work of many people we reach this point. Father Joe Gaul, our Charter Chaplain wanted a Knights of Columbus Council at St. Eugene’s, and was determined to do everything he could and he did. Back in the Summer and Fall of 1991, he talked to many men and spread the word that a Council of Knights would be great to have at St. Eugene.

Father Gaul enlisted the help of John Mitricska to spread the word as well. As a former Grand Knight of the Cary Council 6650, John had experience in convincing men that the Knights were a very worthwhile organization, and was successful at getting many of them to join. Some of the early organizational meetings were sparse, but they soon began to grow in size and interest. Our District Deputy at the time, Al Ruocchio, was in attendance at virtually all of the meetings and helped give us ideas in forming the council as well. We were chartered in June 1992 with John Mitricska as the Charter Grand Knight and Rev. Joe Gaul as Chaplain.

Msgr. Louis E. Morton - Our council is named in honor of him

The following information was provided by Msgr. Gerald L Lewis, STL, Director of the Archives, Diocese of Raleigh:

Born in 1912, Msgr. Louis E Morton was a native of Shaker Heights (suburb of Cleveland) Ohio. He was wounded in the Pacific during World War II and recuperated in the Army hospital in San Francisco. After discharge he returned to Cleveland and joined the family business, the Cleveland Canvass Co, eventually becoming Vice-President for Finance.

Msgr. Morton felt the call to the priesthood in his late 30s and applied to the School of Saint Philip Nero in Boston, a Jesuit founded school for delayed vocations. It was a one-year program teaching Latin, Greek, and Apologetics. During this year (1953 - 1954) he applied to Bishop Vincent Waters to be accepted as a Seminarian for the Diocese of Raleigh; he was accepted and sent to Christ The King Seminary, Olean, New York. He was ordained priest by Bishop Waters on May 26, 1960 at Our Lady of the Assumption Parish, Charlotte, NC.

Msgr. Morton was assigned to the Missionary Apostolic in Newton Grove where he was the Priest in Charge of Sacred Heart Mission, Goldsboro. In May 1961, he was assigned as Assistant Pastor of Saint Mary, Goldsboro. After two years as Assistant Pastor Msgr. Morton was named Pastor of Sacred Heart Parish, Southport. He also covered the missions of Elizabethtown and Delco.  He oversaw the building of a new mission at Cherryville and closed the Church at Delco.

He was next called by Bishop Waters to Raleigh to be the Chancellor (Chief Operating Officer) of the Diocese. While Chancellor he was also appointed as Pastor of Saint Eugene, Wendel.

From Wendell, while still Chancellor, he was named Rector of Sacred Heart Cathedral, Raleigh. In 1972 he was given a four-month sabbatical to study at the Pontifical North American College in Rome. In February 1973 he was named Pastor of Saint Teresa Parish, Wrightsville with the mission of Immaculate Conception at Carolina Beach.  He purchased property in Wilmington for a new parish, the future Saint Mark, and began having a third Mass site at a Presbyterian Church on Eastwood road.

In 1977 he was named pastor of Saint Egbert Parish, Morehead City.  During his time there he oversaw the building of a new Church and an extension to the School.

He died while still pastor of Saint Egbert, September 26, 1986 and is buried in Our Lady of Guadalupe Cemetery, New Grove, North Carolina, he was 74 years old.